Defense Minister Undermines International Reputation of Republic of Croatia and Croatian Army
The Office of the President of the Republic is forced to react even today on All Saints’ Day to the lies of Defense Minister Mario Banožić for whom nothing is sacred, not even the truth.
With his false statements and now with the Ministry’s press release, Defense Minister Mario Banožić is undermining without precedent the international reputation of the Republic of Croatia and the Croatian Army, relations with Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as disturbing the public with fabrications just like his mastermind Andrej Plenković.
The claim made via the Ministry of Defense that he had prevented an international scandal is erroneous and insulting to the Croatian Army, which, unlike the Minister, has always acted and acts in line with the law and legal commands and decisions. In March 2021, members of the Honorary and Protection Battalion were sent to attend the burial of the remains of four Croatian Defense Council (HVO) members in Bugojno, in line with the law, based on a request from the Office of the President of the Republic, on the command of the Chief of the General Staff and with the Minister’s written decision. The only one who unfathomably and carelessly tried to obstruct the legal sending of members of the battalion to Bugojno was the Minister who waited until the last minute to sign the decision to that effect, despite receiving a request from the Chief of the General Staff in line with the law and on time. Instead of lying repeatedly, let Minister Banožić explain why it bothered him that members of the battalion attend the commemoration to the fallen HVO members in Bugojno, which was also attended by the Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for Homeland War Veterans retired general Marijan Mareković, and by Foreign Minister Gordan Grlić Radman on behalf of the Croatian Government whom Minister Banožić did not mention in his press release, therefore he is deceitfully concealing this information.
In attempts to hide his incompetence and ignorance of the law, the Defense Minister is abusing the Ministry and its professional services for his political reckoning not just with the President of the Republic but with the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces too.
It is dangerous and irresponsible to accuse the President of the Republic and the Chief of the General Staff of the Croatian Armed Forces of breaking the law via the Ministry’s website. The Ministry of Defense may not be the Minister’s private service for fabricating his political filth.